Jean Cocteau, who earned a reputation in the '20s as a "mad genius," made his film debut as the writer, dirrector, and narrator of this haunting masterpiece. Like an artist splashing paint on a canvas, Cocteau created a mesmerizing collage of allegories and images full of visual symbolism and abstract effects. In Blood of a Poet, the sight of his own blood and a sketched mouth that comes to life drive the hero mad and send him off on a series of bizarre adventures. Strikingly, Cocteau exposes his private demons to public scrutiny as he explores how artists become obsessed with their own creations.

Criterion's edition features:

• new translations
• additional footage
• A transcript of Jean Cocteau's lecture given at a screening of The Blood of a Poet in 1932.